Lilium speciosum
by ellecorpse
Summary: After living in the human world for over fifteen years, Kurama's inner kitsune has started to fight his bonds as part of Shuichi Minamino. Will he return to Makai and reign as Youko, or will he stay with the ones he loves? Somewhat AU, Kurama x OC
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone, it's Elle. This is my first piece of fanfiction on this account. I really hope you like it!

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Kurama sat down at his desk and sighed, looking at his watch only to discover that it wasn't even close to the end of the school day. He felt strange for wanting to leave so early, because, as outlandish as it might have sounded to other people, he rather liked school. His mother had always said (affectionately, of course) that it was because he was naturally gifted at academics, and had been ever since he was a child. Whether the subject was Trigonometry, World History, or Japanese, it didn't really matter: he always got exceptional grades, and as such, enjoyed his classes, especially Biology. He pursed his lips. _Obviously._

What he didn't enjoy, however, were the constant attentions of almost every girl at school. There were a few girls that he considered to be friends, if not very close ones, and they seemed to consider him the same, judging by the fact that they didn't spend their time ogling him. Instead, they merely smiled at him in passing and made small talk if they had time. Unfortunately, these girls made up a very small percentage of the female population at Meiou Academy. As if it weren't enough that there was a 'fan club' of sorts dedicated to him, some other girls from neighboring schools didn't find him too bad looking, either. Not bad looking at all, in fact. He shook his head and started flipping through his history book, stopping where they had left off last class to begin rereading the chapter they had finished. He had just started the third paragraph when the bell rang, and all the other students scurried to their seats, most of them making it before the teacher walked in a split second later. The three unlucky ones, however, remained erect, their defeated expressions somewhat amusing to the green-eyed teenager. They knew as well as he did that Mr. Kobayashi was adamant about his class starting as soon as the bell rang.

"Megumi, Jiro, and Rei," the thin, balding man said, pointing to each of the standing students in turn as he took his place at the chalkboard. "To the office. Now. At the beginning of the year, you were made fully aware of the policy about not being in your seat when class starts. I will not allow you back in unless you have a genuine tardy slip, and remember, the key word here is 'genuine'. I'll be able to tell if you've forged Ms. Arai's handwriting." He gestured towards the door. "Go."

Jiro, a boy that Kurama didn't particularly care for, shot a dirty look at the teacher as he walked out, saying something under his breath that was obviously insulting. The other two students followed him meekly, the shortest one tucking a chunk of mousy hair behind her ear before quietly shutting the door behind her. Mr. Kobayashi produced a piece of chalk from his pocket.

"Now if you'll recall, class, last class we spent time talking about..."

Kurama rested his chin on his hand, looking down at his open textbook, then again at his watch. Still not time to leave. He shifted slightly in his chair, trying to pay attention to what their bespectacled teacher was saying.

"...and of course the slogan 'Fukoku Kyōhei' that was so popular during the Meiji era entailed that--"

The door opened, and the trio of students that had been sent out filed back in. Mr. Kobayashi inspected all three tardy slips and sent them back to their seats, apparently satisfied.

"As I was saying, 'Fukoku Kyōhei' embodied the concept of--"

The door opened again, much to Mr. Kobayashi's chagrin. "I'm in the middle of a lecture, if you haven't noticed," he said loudly, turning to face the intruder and frowning, somewhat surprised. "And who are you?"

Kurama looked up from his book and saw an unfamiliar girl making her way to their teacher. She silently gave him a note, looking down at her feet as he read it. He cleared his throat when he was done.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it has come to my attention that we have a new student. This is Sayuri Yamazaki. She's just moved here from Toyama and is, of course, relatively new to the area, so I trust that you'll be nothing but helpful and cordial to her during the time she spends with us, correct?" He didn't wait for an answer. "You can sit in the empty desk in the second row, the one by the window."

She nodded and silently took her seat, ignoring the stares and whispers of the other students. Mr. Kobayashi cleared his throat again, effectively restoring order, and continuing his lecture. Kurama pretended to pay attention to the lesson, but he was looking at the new girl--Sayuri, he corrected himself--out of the corner of his eye.

There was no way around it: she was attractive. Attractive enough to earn desirous looks from most of the other boys in the class, anyway. She was pale and long-legged, with dark hair that fell past her shoulders. As he studied his classmates' lewd glances at her, he felt a rush of anger that he knew was completely and utterly pointless because, well, she wasn't his to claim. Besides, it wasn't like he was minding his own business, either.

But the looks she was getting from some of the boys...

The bell rang and he closed his book, but he barely heard Mr. Kobayashi tell them their homework assignment due to the scraping of chairs against the linoleum floor. Standing up, he slowly put his belongings in his bag and watched Sayuri walk out the door.

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Glossary:

Fukoku Kyōhei -- A popular slogan during the Meiji Era, it translates to "Enrich the country, strengthen the military". It symbolized the beginning of Japanese nationalism.


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter up! Enjoy!

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"...and then Urameshi fell flat on his face!" 

There was a chorus of laughter from the people at the table. One of the boys, however, glared at the speaker. "I told you to shut the hell up, Kuwabara."

"Aw, grow a sense of humor!" Kuwabara said, still snickering at his friend. "Of course, if _my _face looked like a batch of okonomiyaki, I guess I'd be embarrassed too!"

"Well, as long as we're comparing injuries to food..." the shorter boy growled, "...if you don't want a lump on your head the size of a piece of takoyaki, I'd suggest you keep your damn mouth closed."

"Oh, don't worry, Yusuke," one of the girls said lightly, twirling a few strands of light blue hair around her fingers. "It must have been quite an improvement. If only I'd been there to see it."

He nearly flipped over the table at that comment. "Well jeez, Botan, could you at least _try _not to encourage him?"

"Yusuke, if you want to stay here, don't do that," a middle-aged man said tiredly from behind the counter as he cut up a piece of raw meat. "Keiko, please try to control your friends. This is a noodle shop, not a playground."

The brown-haired girl flushed slightly. "Sorry, Dad." She slapped Yusuke on the arm. "Why do you have to get me in trouble like that?"

"It's not _my_ fault! Blame that idiot across from you!"

Kuwabara made a face at him. "Hey!"

Kurama shook his head, trying not to laugh. He stood just inside the door, leaning against the frame and watching them playfully bait each other. The other teenagers were so engrossed in their teasing and arguing, however, that they didn't even notice him walk up to the table, his hands in his pockets.

"Can't take you anywhere, now, can we?"

Kuwabara looked up from giving Yusuke a noogie and grinned. "Hey, it's Kurama!" Yusuke took this opportunity to wriggle out of Kuwabara's grasp and punch him in the head, true to his word. "Ouch!"

"Hi, Kurama," Keiko said cheerfully, smiling at the red-haired boy. "Why don't you pull up a chair?"

"Thank you." He did so and sat down, straightening his pink school uniform. "My, Yusuke, you look slightly ruffled."

"Don't remind me," the green-clad delinquent grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Would you like some ramen, Kurama? Perhaps some tea?" Keiko started to get up, but he shook his head.

"I appreciate it, Keiko, but I'm all right." He gave her a small smile as she sat back down and leaned her head against Yusuke's shoulder, causing the boy to visibly relax. It was obvious that Yusuke adored the girl, but for some reason, he acted like an idiot around her, which usually made her angry. Everyone knew that she couldn't stay mad at Yusuke for long, though, because they were almost always on good terms the next day. It might have been an uncommon romance when the juvenile delinquent and the girl next door were paired together, but somehow, when he looked at Yusuke and Keiko, it wasn't that hard to believe. Kurama sighed inwardly. Yusuke was lucky.

"Wow, it's getting late," Botan remarked, looking out the window. The sun was setting. "We've been here for quite a while, haven't we?"

"Yeah." Kuwabara stood up and stretched. "On that note, I think I'm gonna split. I promised Shizuru that I'd help her make dinner tonight."

"I'll go home, too," Yusuke said, rising. "Mom's probably passed out in the living room again. I hope she hasn't puked on my stuff."

Keiko made a face. "Yusuke, that's awful."

Yusuke shrugged. "It's happened before." He and Kuwabara walked to the door. "See you later, guys."

Kurama raised a hand in farewell as they left, then turned to the two girls. "I should leave, as well. My mother's probably worried."

Botan giggled. "Oh, Kurama, you're so sweet."

"I'm quite sure I could find one person who would beg to differ." He made his way towards the exit. "I'll see you around."

Kurama walked out of the noodle shop and turned the corner, stopping at a fairly large tree close to the building he had just left. He chuckled softly, the shade of the branches giving his skin a dappled look.

"I know that _you'd_ beg to differ...wouldn't you, Hiei?"

A small dark figure landed noiselessly in front of him. "You are anything but sweet, fox. They would do well to figure that out."

"Oh, I don't think I'm _that_ bad. Many people actually seem to find me quite pleasant, you know. And since when have you taken to eavesdropping?"

Hiei snorted. "Ever since your voices became louder than that of an intoxicated demon."

The honking of a car horn and the squeal of brakes hurriedly hitting the pavement filled the air. Both Hiei and Kurama turned quickly, startled. When they saw what it the source of the noise was, they relaxed.

"Stupid humans, running out in front of vehicles," Hiei muttered, re-sheathing his sword: he'd drawn his weapon at the noise. Kurama frowned at the retreating figure, and then he remembered.

"That's her!"

"Who?"

_What was her name again? _"Sayuri!" he called out. "Sayuri Yamazaki!"

She sprinted on as if nothing had happened, not even looking at the man who had almost hit her with his car. She merely stepped onto the sidewalk and continued to run, a full plastic grocery bag swinging in her hand. Hiei cleared his throat.

"You haven't answered my question."

Kurama was suddenly made aware of the smaller demon beside him. "Oh, I apologize," he said, turning back to him. "Her name is Sayuri. She's a new student at my school."

Hiei turned his head, making it clear that he didn't really care. Kurama had expected as much. The Koorime had never really possessed any ties to the human world, except perhaps the tall redhead or Yukina, his unacknowledged twin sister.

The sun was sinking lower and lower. Kurama sighed, looking up at the fiery orange sphere. "I'm sorry, Hiei, but I need to head home. You're welcome to accompany me, if you so choose." Looking around, he saw that the apparition had vanished, and he shook his head, smiling. _Not tonight, I see. _Which was fine, of course...after all, he had to get started on Mr. Kobayashi's assignment, and then there were the Trigonometry problems that Mrs. Narita had given them, and then--

He stopped.

_Is this my life now? _He wondered. _Is this really what I've become, what I have to look forward to?_ _Answering questions that aren't my own, writing pages and pages about people I'll never know and events I'll never experience...is this everything that I am? I didn't agree to this._

_Oh, but you did, _a silky voice said, making him jump.

_Youko?_

_That's my name, don't wear it out, _the voice said, sounding amused. _Did you miss me? _

Shuichi frowned. _What are you doing back in my head?_

_I **was **telling you that you're wrong about disagreeing to a life of monotony until you interrupted me, _Youko said irritably. _And you **are **wrong, because you did agree, so don't bother lying. You agreed to it when you fell off that stool and Shiori had to save you from the broken glass on the floor. You agreed to it when you saw the gashes on her arms. You agreed to it when you blamed yourself. You agreed to it, my dear Shuichi, when you decided not to go._

_I don't recall asking for your opinion on the matter, Youko, _Shuichi responded coolly, trying to keep his cool and at the same time trying not to think about that particular incident. It still sent a surge of guilt through him every time it crossed his mind.

He could hear a grin in the kitsune's reply, a leer so evident that he could almost see floating in front of his face as he reached his front door: _You should know by now that I don't deal with opinions, Shuichi. There is only pure, unadulterated fact._

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Glossary:

okonomiyaki -- a savory Japanese pancake  
takoyaki -- octopus dumplings...apparently a popular street food in Japan

Oh, and just in case of confusion...when Kurama's two personalities/halves/whatever are communicating with each other, I use both their kitsune and human names so one can tell which is which when they're talking. It's easier than just saying Kurama Kurama Kurama, and it's a lot easier to understand.


	3. Chapter 3

Lunchtime at Meiou Academy was usually an uneventful affair. Because it was an exclusive and rather prestigious school, the vast majority of the attending students didn't really concern themselves with fighting or trying to look tough…after all, they didn't want to get themselves kicked out after they'd managed to pass the entrance exam, all because of a stupid fight. Competition took place in the classroom, and it could be extremely vicious. When lunch break came around, however, most of the competitive spirit was forgotten for the moment, and everyone coexisted in relative peace.

Kurama sat at his homeroom desk, watching the other students mill around the room while he calmly ate his lunch. His mother had packed a bento for him and secretly slipped it into his bag as he was getting ready for school. He had discovered it during his first class as he was taking out his book for the lesson. When he saw the blue cloth tied around the telltale rectangular shape, he'd smiled, touched. He'd often told his mother not to bother making him a lunch because he felt that he'd troubled her enough during his childhood. They always laughed a little after he said this, but behind his smile lay a solemn expression. She'd often told him what a good son he was, always looking out for her, but he silently disagreed with her every time she said it. As he reached out for his bottle of water, he noticed Sayuri, who sat quietly alone in her seat by the window. He put away the bento box, tying it and his chopsticks up in the blue cloth and putting it back in his bag, and walked over to her desk, giving her a small smile. "Good afternoon."

Sayuri looked up at him expressionlessly, then down at her hands, which were folded neatly in her lap. "Hi."

"Your name is Sayuri, correct?" Kurama already knew the answer, but felt compelled to ask anyway. It seemed like the polite thing to do.

"Yes."

"I'm Shuichi. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sayuri."

The girl rolled her eyes. "I know who you are."

Kurama raised an eyebrow and leaned against the windowsill, standing in front of Sayuri's desk. "Oh, really?"

"Of course. How could I not when nearly every single girl at this school talks about you all the time? You can't help but hear them when they gather together like a bunch of crows. They sound like crows, too. 'Shuichi Minamino, the dreamiest boy at Meiou Academy', that's what they all caw. He's ever so smart and polite and nice, and _everybody_ loves him." She glared at his amused expression, sharp steel against glittering emeralds. "I'm not going to join your stupid fan club."

Kurama let out a short laugh, hiding the discomfort he had felt at her 'crow' metaphor: he'd had an fleeting, yet extremely unpleasant vision of a pale face with deadly violet eyes. "I don't expect you to. Even if I did, I'm not sure if I've got the authority to grant you membership, seeing as how that particular organization is not of my doing. To tell you the truth, it's a bit of a bother." He glanced over at the other side of the room only to see a group of girls whispering amongst themselves and glowering at Sayuri. When they saw his eyes fall on them, however, they blushed and began to giggle embarrassedly. He sighed and looked back at the dark-haired girl. "Besides, I have reason to believe that they don't care for you all too much."

Sayuri pursed her lips, cracking her knuckles. "Pity."

"By the way, I saw you yesterday after school," Kurama said suddenly, recalling the event. "Was there a reason you dashed out in front of that car?"

Sayuri snorted. "Was there a reason you were watching me?"

"On the contrary. I wasn't even aware of your presence until I heard the poor man's brakes screech."

She gazed out the window silently, tucking her long hair behind her ears. Kurama caught a whiff of her scent as she moved: an interesting combination of mint and sandalwood. "I was in a hurry, bringing food home for my brother," she finally said. "Just sweets and little snacks, you know. He's practically addicted to kompeito, so I--" She cut off suddenly, her eyes narrowing as she looked back at him. "This isn't any of your business, you know."

Kurama shrugged. "I never asked you to tell me."

The bell rang and Sayuri got up, smoothing the skirt of her red uniform as she bent to get her things. Kurama noticed for the first time that she would probably be taller than Yusuke, if they had been standing side by side. "Don't worry, Shuichi," she hissed at him, her cold grey eyes narrowed. "I won't make the same mistake twice."

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Glossary:

bento -- a Japanese boxed meal  
kompeito -- a Japanese sweet similar to rock candy


End file.
